scholarly journals Future cities: Speculation on the case for vertical biophilic cities

Ecocycles ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-80
Author(s):  
Benz Kotzen
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Central City ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
City Core ◽  
The City ◽  
Future Growth

As the world’s population increases and as populations of cities increase there is a real need to find solutions to accommodate these people. Vertical cities may provide a solution. Whilst megastructures have been built as individual buildings, thus far there are no vertical cities, but the existing megastructures indicate this is possible. The skyscrapers of vertical cities can be integrated in the skies as well as below ground as earthscrapers and host all the functions of the city including green spaces such as parks and gardens and urban agriculture. The current model of a central city core area and expansive suburbs does not provide a solution for future growth. Past and future losses in ecosystem services through extensive horizontal development cannot be sanctioned. This is an ‘ideas paper’ which speculates on the forms of future vertical cities and the necessity of integrating biophilia into the vertical city as not only do vertical cities provide an answer to accommodating the world’s burgeoning population, but the compact footprint of the city allows for an increase in nature, access to nature, allowing land that would be swamped by development to be used for farming, water collection, forests and other land uses that host the ecosystem services that are required by people and the planet.

The promises of farming in the city: Introduction to the urban agriculture themed issue

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Dimitri ◽  
Lydia Oberholtzer ◽  
Andy Pressman
Keyword(s):  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Vacant Land ◽  
Urban Farming ◽  
Urban Blight ◽  
The City

As the finishing touches go on this themed issue, evidence of widespread enthusiasm for urban farming is apparent in many developed countries. Farming in the city, commonly referred to as urban agriculture, has been put forth as a solution to multiple social problems, including the provision of new green spaces, control of runoff and provision of shade that offsets the heat of the concrete city. In cities with abundant vacant land and abandoned plots, urban agriculture promises a reduction of urban blight.

scholarly journals AGRICULTURE IN URBAN ECOSYSTEMS: A STEP TO CITIES SUSTAINABILITY1

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
THAYZA DE OLIVEIRA BATITUCCI ◽  
ERIKA CORTINES ◽  
FÁBIO SOUTO ALMEIDA ◽  
ÂNGELA ALVES DE ALMEIDA
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Urban Ecosystems ◽  
Urban Ecosystem ◽  
Agricultural Activities ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Environmental Considerations ◽  
The City

Abstract Urban Agriculture (UA) has emerged as an alternative capable of fostering sustainable relations among the economic, social and environmental spheres in cities. It consists of growing and processing traditionally rural food products in urban zones in consonance with the environmental considerations to promote sustainability. This study set out to analyze the interactions of agricultural activities and the urban ecosystem. A review of the literature and a case study of an Urban Agriculture program developed in the metropolitan area of the city of Rio de Janeiro showed that Urban Agriculture provides considerable ecosystem services, generates income, increases biodiversity conservation and fosters social inclusion, functioning as a mechanism for achieving equilibrium among the components of the urban ecosystem.

scholarly journals The Role of Open Land Spaces in Solving the Problem of Lack of Green Areas

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-88
Author(s):  
Yahya Mohammed Al-Bishari ◽  
Mohammed Sallam Almadhaji
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
Open Land ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
The City ◽  
Environmental Level ◽  
Green Land

Sana'a city suffers from a sever lack of green land spaces since per capita green land spaces is 0.176 m2, it is estimated at less than 1% of the different land uses in the city. The percentage and green land spaces continue to decline due to the continued increasing of population and expansion of the urban blocks of the city. This study aims at solving the problem of lack of green land spaces and upgrading the environmental level of the city of Sana'a  by suggesting a vision to increase the percentage of green land spaces as well as per capita in the city. That can be achieved by using the recent wide open land spaces which are available and not used in the city. To achieve this aim, the methodology adopted was analytical, descriptive, and comparative of green lands and their types in cities. It also compared  the planning standards with advanced cities and the recent situation of Sana'a city by analytical, descriptive, and comparative studies for open lands and green spaces. The study resulted in some suggestions for solving the problem of lack of green land spaces and increasing the per capita in   Sana`a city and thus reached conclusions  and recommendations. Keywords: green land spaces, per capita, Sana'a city.

scholarly journals What Ideal Green Spaces for the City of Tomorrow, Providing Ecosystem Services?

2017 ◽  
Vol 198 ◽  
pp. 116-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amélie Robert ◽  
Jean Louis Yengué
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
The City

scholarly journals Ecosystem Services of Urban Agriculture: Perceptions of Project Leaders, Stakeholders and the General Public

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (24) ◽  
pp. 10446
Author(s):  
Esther Sanyé-Mengual ◽  
Kathrin Specht ◽  
Jan Vávra ◽  
Martina Artmann ◽  
Francesco Orsini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
General Public ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Community Supported Agriculture ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Rooftop Garden ◽  
The City

Within the scholarly debate, Urban Agriculture (UA) has been widely acknowledged to provide diverse environmental and socio-cultural ecosystem services (ESs) for cities. However, the question of whether these potential benefits are also recognized as such by the involved societal groups on the ground has not yet been investigated. This paper aims at (1) assessing the perceived ESs of UA, comparing the views of different societal groups in the city of Bologna, Italy (namely: UA project leaders, stakeholders and the general public) and (2) to identify differences in the evaluation of specific UA types (indoor farming, high-tech greenhouses, peri-urban farms, community-supported agriculture, community rooftop garden and urban co-op). In total, 406 individuals evaluated 25 ESs via a standardized Likert-scale survey. The study unveiled similarities and divergences of perceptions among the different societal groups. The statistical analysis indicated that the general public and UA stakeholders agree on the high relevance of socio-cultural ESs, while provisioning ESs was considered as less significant. UA types focusing on social innovation were expected to provide higher socio-cultural ESs whereas peri-urban activities were more closely linked to habitat ESs. We assume that involvement and knowledge of UA are determining factors for valuing the provision of ESs through UA, which needs to be considered for ES valuation, particularly in a policymaking context.

scholarly journals Toward an Evaluation of Cultural Ecosystem Services Delivered by Urban Micro-Farms

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Giacchè ◽  
Jean-Noël Consalès ◽  
Baptiste J-P. Grard ◽  
Anne-Cécile Daniel ◽  
Claire Chenu
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
Allotment Gardens ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Rooftop Farming ◽  
The City ◽  
Soil Level

Since two decades, urban agriculture has been booming and a wide range of forms, from urban allotment gardens to rooftop farming under greenhouse, is developing. Various benefits are recognized for urban agriculture integration within the city and a specific consideration is dedicated to ecosystem services. In this article, we have focused on cultural ecosystem services provided by urban micro-farms. The state of the art reveals that urban agriculture delivers cultural ecosystem services that are well perceived and evaluated by users, but there are still few studies on this topic. Based on the analysis of specific literature on cultural ecosystems and micro-farms in parallel to a period of observation and documentary research of five urban micro-farms either on rooftop or at soil level, located in Paris and its surroundings, we proposed a specific methodology. This methodology aimed at quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the cultural ecosystem services provided by urban micro-farms and is based on a framework, which distinguishes exogenous and endogenous cultural ecosystem services.

scholarly journals Greening the Browns: A Bio-Based Land Use Framework for Analysing the Potential of Urban Brownfields in an Urban Circular Economy

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 6278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaswati Chowdhury ◽  
Jaan-Henrik Kain ◽  
Marco Adelfio ◽  
Yevheniya Volchko ◽  
Jenny Norrman
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Soil Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Decision Matrix ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
Urban Greenspaces ◽  
The City ◽  
Selection Of

The Circular Economy (CE) is expected to accelerate the use of resources with bio-based origin. Cities have an important role in such an economy, not only as main consumers but also because vegetation provides numerous ecosystem services essential for the well-being of urban dwellers. Urban lands are, however, heavily burdened with both past and present activities and ongoing urbanization. Retrofitting obsolete and potentially contaminated brownfields provides an opportunity to engage with bio-based land uses within the city. At the same time, plants are an important part of Gentle Remediation Options (GROs), a more sustainable alternative for managing contamination risks and restoring soil health. This paper (1) provides a tentative selection of Urban Greenspaces (UGSs) relevant for brownfields, and a compilation of ecosystem services provided by the selected UGSs, and (2) presents a framework covering the 14 selected bio-based land uses on brownfields, including GRO interventions over time. This framework provides three practical tools: the conceptualization of linkages between GROs and prospective UGS uses, a scatter diagram for the realization of 14 UGS opportunities on brownfields, and a decision matrix to analyze the requirements for UGS realization on brownfields.

scholarly journals Nature-Based Solutions for Agriculture in Circular Cities: Challenges, Gaps, and Opportunities

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 2565
Author(s):  
Alba Canet-Martí ◽  
Rocío Pineda-Martos ◽  
Ranka Junge ◽  
Katrin Bohn ◽  
Teresa A. Paço ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Distribution System ◽  
Urban Spaces ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Agricultural Technologies ◽  
Resources Management ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The City ◽  
Potential Opportunity

Urban agriculture (UA) plays a key role in the circular metabolism of cities, as it can use water resources, nutrients, and other materials recovered from streams that currently leave the city as solid waste or as wastewater to produce new food and biomass. The ecosystem services of urban green spaces and infrastructures and the productivity of specific urban agricultural technologies have been discussed in literature. However, the understanding of input and output (I/O) streams of different nature-based solutions (NBS) is not yet sufficient to identify the challenges and opportunities they offer for strengthening circularity in UA. We propose a series of agriculture NBS, which, implemented in cities, would address circularity challenges in different urban spaces. To identify the challenges, gaps, and opportunities related to the enhancement of resources management of agriculture NBS, we evaluated NBS units, interventions, and supporting units, and analyzed I/O streams as links of urban circularity. A broader understanding of the food-related urban streams is important to recover resources and adapt the distribution system accordingly. As a result, we pinpointed the gaps that hinder the development of UA as a potential opportunity within the framework of the Circular City.

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